Interstate 74 in Illinois

Infobox road
state=IL
route=74
type=I

---

alternate_name=Everett McKinley Dirksen Memorial Highwaycite web |url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1747&ChapAct=605%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B15%2F&ChapterID=45&ChapterName=ROADS+AND+BRIDGES&ActName=Dirksen+Memorial+Highway+Act%2E |title=605 ILCS 15 / Dirksen Memorial Highway Act |author=State of Illinois |date=Unknown date |accessdate=2007-11-08 |publisher=Illinois Compiled Statutes]
maint=
length_mi=220.34
length_round=2
length_ref=
year_established=
direction_a=West
terminus_a=Jct|state=IA|I|74 at Moline
junction=Jct|state=IL|I|80 near Colona
Jct|state=IL|I|55 at Normal/Bloomington
Jct|state=IL|I|57 at Champaign
cities=Moline, Galesburg, Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Champaign-Urbana, Danville
direction_b=East
terminus_b=Jct|state=IN|I|74 east of Danville
previous_type=IL
previous_route=73
next_type=IL
next_route=75In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 74 is a major northwest-southeast Interstate highway that runs across the northern portion of the state. It runs from the Iowa state line at the Mississippi River southeast to the Indiana state line east of Danville, Illinois. This is a distance of 220.34 miles (354.60 km).cite web |title=Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002 |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.htm |date=2002-10-31 |accessdate=2006-09-29 |author=Federal Highway Administration] The highway is officially named after Everett McKinley Dirksen, a Republican Senator and U.S. Congressman from Pekin from 1933 to his death in 1969.

Route description

In November 2006 major work was completed on the "Upgrade 74" project for the portion of I-74 in the Midwest. This multi-year project, begun in April 2002, saw the complete renovation of I-74 through East Peoria, Illinois and Peoria, Illinois. Most notably the interstate was widened to three lanes through the cities, many blind or hairpin exits and entrances to the highway were removed or corrected, and many bridges crossing the highway were replaced. The biggest part of this project was work on the Murray Baker Bridge, over which I-74 crosses the Illinois River. The bridge was completely closed to traffic while being partially dismantled and reconstructed from April 2, 2005 to October 15, 2005. During this time I-74 was disconnected between Peoria and East Peoria. [cite web |author=Illinois Department of Transportation |title=Upgrade 74 |url=http://www.upgrade74.com |accessdate=2006-11-26 |date=2007-01-04]

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals joke that I-74 marks the "Demilitarized Zone" between Cubs and Cardinals "territories", the baseball rivalry equivalent of the 38th parallel between North and South Korea.

Exit list

References